Moving On & Hanging On
by Forever a Coffee Addict
Summary: The BTT has had many adventures throughout their lives, and life only gets crazier with the arrival of new faces and old friends. Can Francis leave a mistake in the past? Will Gilbert remain loyal to the present? Will Antonio find what he wants in the new girl at Heta High? Includes NyoCanada & America, and NyoItaly & Romano, and many ships! Rated T for language and violence.
1. Chapter 1: Loving & Hating

Hi everyone! Phew! I was nervous to publish this story. This is my first fanfic so please don't be too mean with criticism. I would like constructive criticism though! Other than that I don't really have much to say, other than I hope you enjoy the story because I'll enjoy writing it! I'll try my best!

Chapter 1: Loving & Hating

 **High School, a time for living, for fun, for growing, and finding meaning in this world. But what happens when something or** _ **someone**_ **dares challenge you on the twisty and bumpy road to adulthood. What if someone pushes you backwards rather than forwards and blocks any further movement? Do you fight the person? Do you reason with the person? What if YOU are the perpetrator? What if YOU stop yourself by giving up or failing to accept what is there? Well that is where this tale begins…..**

It was ordinary really…. no one really paid much heed to that particularly loud table at the rear end of the lunchroom. The obnoxious cackling from a certain albino, the annoying flirtatious remarks from the all too popular french boy with the incredibly silky blonde hair, and the never ending bright smiles from the very attractive Spaniard. It was not uncommon for the table to suddenly erupt into "hon hon hon's" and "kesesese's" and "fusosososo's." For the students of Heta High School, it was just another day. But really what would you expect from a high school called "Heta High School" ?

"So Gilbert? Where's _cher_ Madeline? I don't believe I've seen her all week, or rather all month for that matter?" came from the frisky french-boy as his eyes lurked for his next victim.

"Sí, where's little Maddie?" came from the Spaniard with the enthralling emerald eyes.

"You mean birdie? She's in the library, as usual. She says she has an unawesome test next period and _I_ as her awesome boyfriend will not disturb!" That was what he said, but what Gilbert really meant was that he did not want to get yelled at again. He still remembered the last time he tried to grace her with his "awesome" presence while she was reading or studying, it was terrifying to say the least. For a girl that was normally very calm and quiet, his precious Madeline could be just and aggressive and quiet as he was, maybe even _more_.

Though the Francis, the lurking french boy, doubted, no, knew that Gilbert could never be that docile, he played along with his little lie. He would spare his friend's pride _this_ time.

"Wow! I didn't think I'd live to see the day that Gilbert Beilschmidt would follow directions, I guess cher Madeline _has_ calmed _notre ami_ down, isn't that right Antonio?" referring to the eye-catching Spaniard who very obviously had not caught on to Gilbert's lie.

"Sí, es muy raro, very strange, Gil has NEVER followed orders from anyone. Not from his mom, not from his dad, not from the teachers, not from the principal, not from the police. I don't even think Gil follows his own orders. Hehehe I still remember the time when….."

"Okay I get it Tonio, but never fear awesome me will never stop being awesome!"

"So how _are_ things going between you and Madeline?" Francis asked, not wanting his friend's ego to inflate anymore than it already was.

"Everything is great! No, everything is….."

"Don't say it…" Francis warned.

Well he didn't say it, Gilbert jumped out of his seat and practically shouted out to heavens so that even people in China could hear him: "AWESOME!" Everyone in the lunchroom looked to see who had yelled, but immediately turned back when they saw it was just Gilbert. Francis scowled looking at Gil as he sat back with a gigantic smirk on his face.

"No but really everything is AMAZING Birdie is great, we just went on a date this Sunday. I took her to the amusement park. Kesesesese…. she screamed like crazy~!"

"So does this mean that you are finally over cher Elizaveta?"

At the mere mention of the name, pale cheeks quickly turned a light shade of pink as the albino remembered his dear old best friend. Elizaveta, his childhood best friend who left for Hungary five years ago and never returned. Anyone and everyone could see that the German boy had feelings for the violent tomboy. Everyone except for of course Elizaveta and Gilbert himself. the two would constantly bicker and fight, yet when the time came they were always there for each other. Antonio and Francis could still remember how heartbroken Gilbert was when he saw the plane slowly disappear into the sky, carrying the girl off to a far away place, never to see her messy brown locks and gleaming, olive eyes again.

"E-Elizaveta? W-what about her? She was annoying, why did you bring her up?" he foolishly stuttered out.

"Oh… never mind _mon ami_ " Francis said as he tried to conceal a smile, slightly amused at his friend's childishness. He knew Gilbert still occasionally thought of the Hungarian, but that his heart was strangely devoted the amiable and shy Madeline Jones-Williams. Honestly he never expected that the quiet sophomore would come to like the arrogant and rowdy Gilbert. Nonetheless he was happy for them, they made a wonderful pair.

"Well I think I've waited long enough! I'm gonna' see Maddie!" and with that, Gilbert dashed off.

"No! Wait Gilbert! _Espera_!" Antonio yelled out, holding his arm out in hopes of reaching him, but it was no use, Gilbert had ran out, eager to meet his girlfriend at the library. Francis sighed, "I guess some things never change…" he whispered out with an admiring smile. He then turned his attention to the pouting Antonio, who had been abnormally quiet the whole lunch period, normally you couldn't _stop_ the boy from talking.

"What did you want Antoine?" he asked with intriguing curiosity.

Antonio responded with a sad sigh as he looked down to his lunch: "I wanted to ask about the girl his brother has been hanging out with lately…" He muttered out with another pout.

"Oh? She peak your interest?" _Hallelujah_! Francis thought, it was weird for Antonio to like someone. He was starting to fear that Antonio didn't know what love was, which then raised questions about whether Antonio was antisocial and their friendship had been nothing more than manipulation…. but maybe that was just Francis being paranoid. Antonio had never directed his eyes to anyone, and if he did it was likely that he was just looking at a tomato or anything tomato-related behind the person. So to hear that Antonio was interested in a girl was surprising.

"Yeah…. she is so cute~! I think she's a freshman, I've seen her hanging out with Ludwig so I wanted to ask Gilbert but…."

"Ah, our dear Antoine finally has someone he likes~ Now I think I've seen everything. My friends are growing up~!" He jokingly said as he pretended to cry into a napkin.

"Sí…. what about you Franny? Your eyes always searching but I can see that your eyes are only directed at one person…." his tone slowly declining from the usual carefree tone to a serious one.

Frustrated, Francis sighed and pulled at his golden locks as if expecting all of his life's answers could be found there. He knew exactly what Antonio meant. He would always hook up with a casual flings in attempt to forget….. But his heart, his god-forsaken heart would just not let go. It still looked for those warm mint eyes that complimented the terrifyingly thick eyebrows of his beloved's face. Francis had once held that small, frail body of his. Francis could still remember how it felt to hold the man he loved in his arms, how comfortable he was, the endearing breadths the other man would take every time Francis would sigh endearing words of love into his ear. Oh how Francis missed and longed for Arthur, the man he loved , to clutch onto him again and ask him to stay just awhile longer. But now those warm mint eyes that once held love, turned cold with hate…. and it was Francis's fault.

"Yes…" Francis whispered out in a somber tone, looking nothing but defeated, shoulders drooping so low that it physically weighed Francis down.

"So you heard that Arthur moved on huh?" Antonio asked sadly, he hated to see his friends sad. He wanted nothing more than to see his friends happy and radiating cheerfulness. His heart hurt when his friends were down.

" _Quoi_?!" Francis yelled out just as loud as Gilbert had. Silly Antonio did not know that Francis had not been aware that his " _mon amour_ " had found another.

"Qué? You didn't know?" But it was too late, Francis had run out of the lunchroom in the same fashion Gilbert had, off to who knows where, probably to go find Arthur and interrogate him. And now only one sat at the table, well not for long as Antonio had followed Francis out, knowing that if he didn't, Francis would get himself in some sort of trouble. And now there were none.

With no one sitting at that particular table, the lunchroom had quieted down quite a bit. Indeed, they are an odd ball. The BTT, a.k.a the Bad Touch Trio, is what they call themselves, or rather what Gilbert calls themselves. Friends since kindergarten, they now face the beginning their junior year in high school together with nothing but high hopes. But things don't always go according to plan….

Well there's the first chapter! I don't know if I'll be able to update often because I a currently writing a 4,000 word essay and I am procrastinating as we speak xD Wish Me luck! Oh and if it wasn't clear:

Francis Bonnefey- France

Antonio Fernandez Carriedo- Spain

Gilbert Beilschmidt- Prussia

Arthur Kirkland- Britain

Elizaveta Hedervary- Hungary

Madeline "Maddie" Jones-Williams- Nyo Canada

 _Cher~ dear  
Notre ami~Our friend  
Mon ami~ My friend  
Quoi?~What?  
Qué?~What?_  
 _Mon amour~ My love_


	2. Chapter 2: Fate & Coincidences

Chapter 2: Fate & Coincidences

Compared to the lunchroom,all the way on the other side of the school on the first floor, the library was much more quiet. Still, Maddie lamented that the library was noisy with the arguments between a feisty girl, with a light Italian accent, and her enraged tutor. Their arguing wouldn't have bothered her on any other occasion, as they were quiet enough to not get kicked out, but they just so happen to choose to sit at the table next to hers.

" _Che cazzo_?! I don't fucking understand it you fucking _stronzo_!"

"Well maybe if you would actually follow along when I explained it to you the FIFTH time you would understand!"

Honestly, Madeline just could not study for Algebra 2 exam next period. Even so, Maddie could not blame her inability to focus on the Italian girl next to her, entirely. She would have to admit that her mind was clouded with thoughts of certain albino, who happened to be her boyfriend. Memories of intense burgundy eyes looking back at her with admiration and love. The glint in those very same eyes whenever he was being mischievous and planning some sort a scheme. And the way his arms encircled her tall stature every time they snuggled. He always hugged her a little too tightly, but it never bothered her. It was comforting to have him next to her. She remembers those very same burgundy eyes, and the look of disappointment when she told Gilbert that she couldn't go to lunch with him because she needed to study. Giggling a little at the memory of when he tried to reason with her and tell her she could always study in the lunchroom. But she knew attempt at studying would be ultimately hopeless. Geez, he could not keep his hands off of her.

The way they met….. it was probably a complete coincidence, but Madeline preferred to call it fate, that they would have met anyway. It was after school, and though she would normally leave for home, her twin sister had managed to get detention on the second week of starting high school. Now, Maddie wanted to be a mean big sister and leave without her but her sister begged and humiliated her by kneeling in public. Apparently, Amelia, her twin, was scared of a ghost that supposedly exposed itself after everyone left school. So to get rid of Mel's constant pleas, Maddie finally agreed, choosing to wait in the library. There she was, waiting in the library, pretending to read but actually planning on how she would destroy all of Mel's horror movies and games without her knowing. No one was there other than the librarian, that is until someone practically barged into the library. White hair bouncing up and down in a jolly fashion, sweat dramatically dripping down a panicked face, which held eyes wide with worry. The situation seemed serious but there was something funny about how he, out of nowhere, demanded: "Quick hide me!" and he hid behind her seat as if no one would find him there. Yet she complied and covered him with her large cardigan and big messenger book bag. Then another person came barging in, this one a big and angry man, likely a teacher. _Oh great I'm hiding a fugitive_. "Have you seen a boy come in here, white hair, red eyes like a little demon" the man asked with scorching hate leaking through his tone. Part of her wanted to correct the man and tell the man that his eyes weren't red, but a beautiful burgundy color, but she decided against it because he already looked pissed. She felt she should do the right thing and reveal the boy with the beautiful eyes, but something was keeping her from doing it…. so she said: "No sorry…" and smiled sweetly. With that the man searched the library for a few more minutes, leaving her with the fear of being discovered, until the enraged man gave up and left. With a sigh of relief, she removed the disguise from the boy. "He's gone," still doubting her, he looked both ways. When he knew that the man was gone, he smirked at her, grabbed her hands and looked her straight in the eye saying: "Thank you, you are AWESOME! Kesesesese." And that's how it started, he stopped her in the hallway to ask about random books that she KNEW he never read, just to talk to her, he came by the library everyday at lunch. They've been creating new adventures since that day for a year now….

Maddie's thoughts were interrupted by the yelling coming from the tutor and the student next to her.

"I DON'T FUCKING GET IT YOU MOTHERFUCKING IDIOT!"

Well someone was mad…. Something inside the tutor had erupted. The tutor had cracked…. he had had enough!

"I'M THE IDIOT? if anything you're the idiot! I've shown you how to do this at least FIFTEEN times and you still don't get it. It's not MY fault, it's YOURS. You're unteachable and you are stupid to think that you will never make it in life like this. I give up, you don't need my help to fail, you can do it on your own." and he stormed off, leaving behind a livid Italian girl. Maddie, without turning her head, glanced at the girl and saw she had put her head down and shoulders shook a little. When the girl finally looked up, tears were clearly brewing in her eyes which were directed at nowhere in particular, she was staring off into space. Without much hope the girl attempted to look at her textbook again, only to realize that she really didn't know what she was doing and put her head back down.

Normally, Maddie would look away or walked away, too shy to ever approach a person who was clearly in distress, but her body shook a little. She wanted to do something, though it was true that the nameless girl had been rude to her tutor, she clearly wanted to understand, and the tutor could not teach her. The tutor was much too harsh to her… behind all those curses, Maddie was sure that what the girl was really trying to say was: "Please help me! I don't get this at all and whatever you are doing is not helping!" So after taking in a silent deep breath, she lifted herself from her seat and walked over to the table.

"Umm…. excuse me?" though wanting to sound like a sincere question, it came off more like a whisper, and her voice diminished at the last syllable.

Nonetheless, the girl looked up, trying to hide her agony with a scowl.

"Sorry am I too loud for you?" not really an apology, more of a bitter remark.

"Umm… no… I just wanted to know if you needed help…. that guy didn't see like he was much help….. so I thought that… um…. maybe…. I could help." somewhere inside of Madeline, sprouted courage, and her offer came out loud and clear so the girl could know that she really did want to help.

The girl, surprised at first, looked like she was about to insult her as well, but a sudden moment of weakness made her say: "Yeah no kidding! I didn't ask for your help but if you really want to help, I guess I shouldn't stop you…"

Madeline couldn't help but smile, this girl was amazingly stubborn and prideful, kinda' reminded her of someone else. The girl obviously meant: "Yes please! I'm dying here and that guy didn't really understand me…"

So she sat down next to her to see what was the cause her nightmares. It was algebra…. so this girl was a freshman, though she looked to be around Madeline's age. The problem had been something along the lines of multiplying polynomials, something Madeline was an expert at. So she told the girl how to it could be done, but she grunted, meaning she still didn't get it. After a few more tries, Maddie realized that the girl didn't get it because she didn't even know what a polynomial was, so she started with the basics. After many trials which ended in failure, the girls suddenly brightened when she came to the answer.

" _Mio dio_! I get it! Grazie! Grazie!" The girl exclaimed, not exactly smiling but clearly pleased. Madeline herself was very pleased…. it was nice to see the girl succeed after the many falls she had to endure to get there. Especially happy that she had helped the girl get to the answer….

Then the girl stood up, gathered her items and started to walk off, but before completely disappearing from the scene she confidently said: "Well you were MUCH more help than the other bastard, but I have to go find my idiot sister and make sure she's not with the potato bastard."

Maddie didn't really know what the last part meant, but she could tell that she was very grateful.

Suddenly she felt arms wrap around her waist, so she quickly turned to see who it was, but relaxed when she saw.

"Gilbert? What are you doing here I thought I told you wanted to study." Not really angry at him, but still demanding an explanation.

"But birdie~! Lunch is almost over and I really wanted to see you~~~" he said as he latched himself to her waist like a child would to his mother when he wanted forgiveness.

"What?! I haven't even studied yet!" Lunch was almost over? How could that be….

"Where you too busy thinking about _me_?" Her face turned a wonderful shade of crimson that matched his eyes, _how did he know?_

Pleased with himself, Gilbert started giving pecks to her cheeks and placed his cold, pale hand on her round and warm cheek and moved her face so that charming amethyst eyes looked at loving burgundy eyes. With eyes closed, however, lips touched and the two were soon enraptured in a messy, yet beautiful kiss.

Though Maddie wanted to fight him, she decided to let him have his way. Besides Algebra 2 was relatively easy… she didn't feel like ruining the moment, and instead wanted to relish the moment and appreciate the magic of a passionate love that clinged onto both hearts. Because moments like these, only last for a short while….

 **Well there's Chapter 2 ! \\(=3=)/ Hope you enjoyed it cause I enjoyed writing it, and if you didn't... I'm sorry I couldn't please you :3 What will happen to our little fools in love? No, really... even I don't know what will become of them!**

 ** _Che Cazzo?~ What the fuck?  
_** _ **Stronzo~ asshole  
**_ ** _Mio Dio~ My God_**

 **By the way, all of these words mainly come from Google translate so if it's wrong,** ** _Lo siento!_** **I'm sorry xc**

 **Status of Procrastination: Not too bad...JK, When will I stop Procrastinating ;-; Someone help! xD**


	3. Chapter 3: Tea & Tears

Chapter 3: Tea & Tears

There in the halls of Heta High, raced a furious French boy, and trailing way behind was a tired Spaniard. Running maniacally, avoiding invisible people, as he stumbled down the halls, you would think that boy didn't know where he was going and was simply following orders from the adrenaline that coursed through his body, but no! He knew exactly where he was going and who he was going to see there. There up in the third floor on the second wing of the school, at the very end of the hall was room 307, where the English Literature Club, A.K.A the "Magic Club" met during lunch. Without a care in the world, Francis opened the door too see Arthur, alone in the room, sitting down and drinking tea, for once actually reading English Literature.

"What the bloody hell are you doing Frog? Go away!" A very angry voice said in a thick British accent.

"Tell me it's not true!" Francis demanded, not really caring about Arthur's orders to leave. Had his "mon amour" really forgotten about him so quickly? Francis always thought he would leave a lasting impression on his beloved, and take years to erase. In the meantime their poor, trampled hearts would heal and Francis hoped that maybe, just maybe warmth would return to those wonderful mint eyes, and that sweet, _sweet_ gaze would only be directed at him. But they had just broken up a month ago and here they were, Arthur casually drinking tea, filling his thoughts with someone else, while Francis was mourning. He knew it was his own fault, but the pain would not vacate his body.

No, he refused to believe that Arthur had moved on after three years of dating. He refused to believe that one idiotic mistake could tarnish the happiness they had found in each other during those three amazing years. Impossible! Antonio must have heard wrong! It was Antonio after all… he had the tendency of being a little dimwitted, and mishearing things. Yes, it must be Antonio mishearing things again!

"What on earth do you mean?"

"Have you found someone else, _amour_?"

Those furry monsters he called eyebrows relaxed when he sighed in understanding, but lowered when he scowled.

"And why the fuck do you care?" he asked, bitter with remorse, like he regretted those three years, a waste of his time, he presumed. "And _don't_ call me that!"

"Don't give me that Arthur! You know _exactly_ why I'm asking!" His voice pleading, wishing for this to be a dream, yet hoping that Arthur be gentle when he revealed the truth.

Uncharacteristically calm, Arthur sat down, having gotten up at the sudden intrusion, and mumbled out the words: "If you must know…. yes… her name's Amelia"

 _Amelia?_ Isn't that Maddie's twin sister? Though surprised at the familiarity of the name, Francis was more surprised at the fact that Arthur's interest was set upon a girl.

"You never told me you were bisexual?"

"Didn't think it would matter" whilst taking a sip of tea that had probably gone cold a while ago.

"Have you really forgotten me _amour_?" eyes begging now, but Arthur refused to give in, refused to even _look_ at Francis!

"I SAID DON'T CALL ME THAT! It means NOTHING, seeing as though you would call just about anyone _amour_ , or at least _anyone_ who would accept the offer to get into bed with you" he spat out, leaving a sour aftertaste in his mouth.

Enraged by now: "Is that really what you think Arthur?! One month! That's how long it takes for you to forget, but I'm still here, unable to move forward. How could you possible just leave like you never meant anything to me?!"

Arthur was about to refute but never got the chance to because Antonio burst in, out of breath.

"...Franny….. I finally… caught… up to you….." Struggling for air.

"Antoine?"

Finally being able to somewhat breathe normally, Antonio answered: "I'm so sorry Franny I thought you knew!"

"No need for apologies Antoine…. I'm glad I could hear what Arthur really thinks about me…" he said, feeling a storm of emotions as resentment, remorse, anger, and bitterness all fought each other to come through his tone.

"Yes now leave!" Arthur demanded, not at all caring about Francis's conflicted feelings, preferring to imagine that the "twat" lacked the ability to feel any emotion at all.

"ARTHUR!" But Francis persisted, attempting to step forward, only to be restrained by Antonio, who fought with Francis's fierce protests, and was dragged out the door. Once the door was securely closed, with a soft thud, and the two friends were safely down the hall, Antonio let go, sure that Francis had calmed down. But he was wrong. Francis quickly recovered and started to walk back to the clubroom. Once again Antonio had to stop him.

"Let go of me Antonio!" No longer Antoine, but Antonio, indeed Francis was serious.

"I can't…. I know that if I do you'll do something you'll regret." In all honesty, Antonio really had no idea what Francis would do, he just knew he didn't want to think about it as it would surely turn out bad!

After a bit more struggling, Antonio's hold was able to overpower Francis's stubborn attempts to escape. Francis finally relaxed and took a long… deep…. sigh….. and slid down to the floor.

"Are you okay Franny?" Antonio gently asked as he sat down next to his hurting friend.

After a few seconds of silent contemplation, Francis answered: "Honestly Antonio…. no…. I'm not… I don't think I will be for a long time…. " Tears started forming in Francis's miserable, brilliant blue eyes. Tears that fell for mistakes of the past. Tears that fell for what was said. And tears that fell for a distant future.

Antonio, who had never actually felt the pain of losing a person you intimately loved, couldn't interpret the meaning behind Francis's tears. All he knew was that his best friend was crying, and needed someone's support, Antonio was happy to oblige. He wrapped his arms around the sobbing blonde boy, hoping to convey that he wanted to help him be happy.

More silence…. "looks like I'll just have to be patient and wait for the pain to leave…" Antonio could only nod in agreement to those words that were muttered out of Francis' pale lips. But what Antonio didn't know was that those words were not muttered in defeat but words of perseverance. But it wasn't the type of perseverance in which someone tells you 'you'll never amount to anything in life' and then have that very same person work for you, no, it was more like when a person says, 'I'm not giving up just yet!'

Uh oh, What is our little Franny planning? Dun...dun...DUN! Oh poor naive Antonio, did you really think Francis would give up that easily?

Status of Procrastination: Still procrastinating (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻


	4. Chapter 4: Rooftops & Ringing

_**Warning!**_ : If you are sensitive to topics like Domestic Violence and Child abuse, please Stop now!  
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Chapter 4: Rooftops & Ringing

 _Insegnante bastardo!_ Bastard Teacher! That was all that a certain Italian girl had in mind since the the bell signaled the end of the school day. The day had been a roller coaster ride for the girl since the moment she opened her fierce, hazel eyes. But now that she thought about it, her whole life has been a never ending roller coaster ride. She would complain, or whine, but anything she says falls on deaf ears. The morning had been…. decent, she got up safely enough. But then she entered the school building and her morale practically waved the white flag saying 'I surrender' to its enemy, the world. Teachers had never really been tolerant of her, what with her cursing and barely passing grades. She was so used to sitting on the cold desks in detention and the uncomfortable seats of the counselor's office. Still, that didn't give them the right to belittle her in every way possible. It's not like she didn't want to succeed or understand, _it's just difficult damn it!_ So when her counselor set her up with a tutor for a certain Algebra I class she was failing, she didn't complain. Turns out the tutor was not fit for teaching and did not understand that SHE didn't understand. Then the bastard goes on and tells her: "you will never make it in life!" She knew that already, she didn't need someone else to tell her that! See he IS an _idiota_. She had enough, she was tired of being pushed aside all her life. Pushed aside simply because sometimes she didn't understand social cues or how to socialize. Pushed to the side because she didn't understand. Pushed aside because she wasn't good enough. Pushed aside like her feelings didn't even count. Having people decide that she would fail at anything she does, making it difficult to believe they were wrong. What she hated most, however, was being compared to her beautiful, talented, kindhearted, likable, younger sister, Feliciana Vargas. Feli was everything she could only hope to be. She didn't understand why people felt the need to compare her to her sister, really they were too different. _What's the point of pointing out the obvious?_ When the tutor left, she let herself cry a little, no longer capable of carrying the heavy burden on her back. Then her day suddenly became better when a girl in the library offered her help. On any other occasion, she would have refused and scowled at her, not wanting any pity. But with all her despair, and the sincerity in the other girl's amethyst eyes, she accepted. After many failures, it clicked! She understood! Excited, she didn't even think to ask for the other girl's name. Since then, her mood had improved greatly, that is until eighth period, World History, her last class. If it wasn't for Math, history would surely be her least favorite class, nothing ever stuck in her head, and the teacher was utterly boring. So boring that almost everyone fell asleep in that class. Half of the time no one, including herself, knew what was going on. Almost everyone fell asleep, yet the teacher, Mr. Gilligan, felt the need to call on HER. He knew that almost no one knew the answers to his questions, but more importantly he knew that SHE didn't know the answer. "Honestly! Is anything going on in that little head of yours? Do you even pay attention when I speak? You're never able to answer my questions! Why don't you actually try for once? You'll see that it's not so bad…" he said that sarcastically. And just her luck, her sister was in this class, and everyone likes her. EVERYONE. Not only that, Feli was the one of the few to actually have a clue about what was going on, for once! "Why can't you be more like your sister? Now Feli, please give us the answer," gesturing to her sister.

The girl with the hazel eyes had tried arguing with the teacher over his unfairness, but she ended up in detention. She didn't want to deal with that again, especially not with the amount of trouble she gets in at home every time she gets detention. So she kept quiet, but never stopped glaring. So her day took a turn for the worst the moment the teacher opened his damn mouth. The school day ended and she started walking without any location in mind. Unconsciously, she started walking on a familiar path, eventually reaching a metal ladder on the last floor that lead to a door with a sign: "Do not enter." The door to the roof. She didn't know why they didn't bother to put a lock, but she was glad. The roof was one of her favorite places to go to. She came here at least once a week, as she found it was where she was most at peace. A railing brimmed the rooftop, and she nonchalantly leaned over the railing, her hands holding it with a very loose grip. She proceeded to close her eyes, enjoying the wind that hit her face. In her mind, she imagines what it would feel like to fall. What it would feel like to finally feel a sense of control. What it would be like to no longer exist. No one would stop her, but she knew she couldn't. So she could only imagine the moment of pure bliss.

No one would stop her… or so she thought. Someone barged in through the forbidden door and yelled: "Stop!" with pants and deep breadths.

For a moment hazel eyes widened with surprise. Quietly, not knowing what else to say, "What?"

"Look….. whatever you're going through…. it's not worth it….. I'm sure you'll be hurting a lot of people…. don't do it….. Fight on!" Was all that she could understand.

Confused, and a little embarrassed, she reassured the intruder: "Um… I wasn't planning on jumping…"

"Oh…" the other turned a very bright shade of crimson, then covered her face.

Silence and awkwardness ensued, until she broke the silence with a realization: "Hey… I know you….. you're the bookworm who helped me today!"

The other girl recognized her as well and simply said: "Oh yeah…"

Of course that wasn't enough for both girls to actually start a conversation, resulting in more awkward silence. Both girls had a tendency to keep to themselves and only talk when needed. In fact this was a very bold move for the girl with the amethyst eyes. If you were to ask her why she had even bothered, she would most likely answer: "It just felt right…" The Italian was tired of the silence, but mostly she was tired of her inability to socialize, so she decided to speak up.

"So uh…. what's your name?"

"Madeline Jones-Williams, but you can call me Maddie" answering rather quickly, glad to end the silence. "...What's yours?"

Unknown to the Italian, Maddie was excited to finally find out what her name was, she wanted to get to know her more. Unknown to Madeline, the Italian would have loved the sincere interest.

Finally the moment arrived, and the girl reveal her name: "Lovina…. Lovina Vargas"

"Lo..vi...na" Maddie tested the sound of her name, then smiled. Somehow the name felt familiar, like she had known Lovina for all her life.

Despite Maddie's affinity for the name, awkwardness just loved to linger. That is until Maddie realized that she had left her boyfriend mid sentence and he would likely be looking for her.

Silence was broken again: "Listen…. I gotta' go but if you need help with anything or just want company you can usually find me in the library. You can also find me around the halls….. so uh...see you later…" she said as she pulled on the handle of the heavy door, but before she left, she offered Lovina a smile, to which the Italian responded with a slight nod, and what could only be described as a confused expression. And then she left…..

Lovina was perplexed….. not really sure why she was confused. Still, she could feel her mood picking up. Something about "Maddie" made her more at ease. She was about to let her guard down, that is until she heard the ringtone:

 _Beep boop…. beep boop….beep boop..._

And she jumped. The ringtone wasn't particularly special, but it foreshadowed who would be on the other line. Not that anyone else ever called her. She clutched the phone, not wanting to answer, but knew she had no choice. With a deep breath, she braced herself and answered.

" _C-ciao?_ "

"Lovina…." The other voice said in a low growl, not really as a question, but as a demand." the very same voice that brought chills to Lovina's spine.

"Y-yes n-nonno?"

"Your sister is going to a friend's house and won't be home for a while. Hurry home…." And he hung up. Everything was said in a calm voice. But Lovina wasn't calm at all. She knew what was coming when Feli wasn't home.

So she reluctantly left the rooftop, and walked home. The walk was fairly short, as the school was nearby, and they lived in a quiet suburb where not much would keep you from going home. Despite being told to hurry home, Lovina took her time. On her way home, she thought about how she got to live with her _nonno_. She and Feli had both a mother and father when they were younger. Her parents were teenagers that committed a mistake, she was the mistake. She assumes they were a happy family, that is until they split when Lovina was six, and Feli was five. Her dad left the house, but occasionally visited. But suddenly his visits stopped, and their mother was heartbroken. Somewhere in the woman's heart, the man still lingered. No one knew that their mother was severely depressed….. so it was a surprise when people found her dead in her room. Having purposely taken many pills. With no one else to take care of them, their bitter grandfather took them in. _Nonno_ was a bitter because his only daughter had gotten pregnant right after graduating high school, having a 3.5 GPA, it was a huge disappointment. So bitter that he hated their father, but when the man left, he had no one to direct his hate to. No one, except Lovina. Lovina looked so much like her father, all the same features, with the same soft, olive skin, the same hazel eyes, and the same wavy brown hair, but with all the feminine feature that turned her into a lovely lady. She supposed that Nonno couldn't help but hate her, she looked like the man he hated, and quite frankly she wasn't always the most pleasant person to be around. You may ask: what about Feliciana? Well there was something about Feli that brought Nonno happiness, something Lovina just couldn't provide him with. Feli was beautiful and was a mirror image of their mother: Beautiful, long auburn hair, gorgeous, smiling, amber eyes, and the lighter skin-tone. _Another chance_ , is probably what Nonno thinks. There is some truth in that statement, not just beautiful, but talented. Feli was not brainless, just a bit clueless sometimes. She was relatively smart, but her grades weren't Nonno's pride and joy; her natural artistic skill and likability were what made him proud. Indeed, millions of awards from years of exhibitions hung all around the house, showing them to every visitor that ever entered the house. Everyone likes Feli, how could they not?

It was a short but thoughtful walk, but the moment she dreaded finally arrived. She was in front of the door to her "home." Bracing herself she opened the door to what can only be described as hell, and nervously called out: "I'm h-home"

No response so she went up the stairs, to her room, never letting her guard down. But there it was, the door to her room, the closest thing to a haven, unfortunately, she hears: "How was school?" Her grandfather.

"G-good"

"Well I'm glad I could ruin your nice day." And without another word he yanked her hair and dragged her down the hall to the day room, her kicking and screaming never ending.

"There!" Throwing her down to the floor with all his strength. Now nonno wasn't stupid, he only left bruises where they couldn't be seen, so she got into her usual position and waited for it. Crouching , covering her head and face. Then he started punching, never missing her arms and stomach, but did not dare to try to hit her face. Then he brought the wooden broom in, his favorite, and hit her on the back with full force. She had been trying to keep in all her cries and moans of pain , but broke down at the hit, yelping out, as tears poured out of her eyes. He kept hitting her with the broom in all directions, but always missing her face. Smart he was. No one really paid any attention to her attire that seemed to only consist of long sleeves and jeans. When he got tired of the broom, he move on to his belt. This man, had the strength of a professional wrestler, not at all handicapped by his age. He put all his effort in torturing his beguiled granddaughter, and all his time, honoring his beloved granddaughter with all the many riches he had to offer. He had two sides, this man, but only Lovina knew of this, as most only saw him as the good spirited, aged millionaire. But Lovina knew of what he was truly capable of, and was constantly reminded with each and every whip of the belt, using the metal part to strike her stomach and poor, thin legs, as she sprawled onto the floor in utter pain, but masking her face behind hand, as if that would help her escape the reality of her nightmare. The room was filled with screams and moans of complete pain that even a football player couldn't sympathize with. The man finished it off with a final punch in the gut that left her breathless. Then he left, closing the door behind him, but before he completely faded into the dark house, he instructed: "Clean up before you leave!"

There she was, on the floor unable to move. Her heart was still racing, fearing he would return for more of his sadistic pleasure. Thankful he didn't. She knew Feli would come back home soon, so despite all the bruises that marred her body, she got up, put away the broom and belt, fixed the rug and limped to her room. Once she was in her room, she knew was safe. Nonno never entered her room. _I guess he has_ _some_ _mercy_.

Locking the door behind her, she limped to her bed, laid down, hugging her pillow, as tears started to form and within in seconds, hated when Feli wasn't home, that's when he really beat her down.

She didn't know when it started, but here she was now. All she knows that around the age of 7, he started hitting her with the belt, but she always thought it was punishment. Over time she grew a little wiser and knew that there was not really any good reason for this "punishment." Once she had threatened to tell someone, but all he said was: "Oh you're gonna lock me away? But then you and your poor sister will be orphans. Of course Feli would probably be adopted quickly, but what about you? You and your sister would be separated, and then you really _will_ be alone. Nobody wants you. You're lucky that I even give you this much attention. Do you really want Feli to lose her only other family? Isn't that a bit selfish? Or do you _love_ ruining people's lives" It's true, Feli's heart will break if she finds out that her nonno is truly a monster hiding in an angel's body. So partly for her fear of knowing what true loneliness feels like, and partly to spare her poor sister's heart, she keeps quiet. Besides nonno could probably get away with anything, using his wit and his gold; she still remembers the disappearance of her first grade teacher after she yelled at Feli.

The night was wearing one, and Feli was home. Dinner had probably started, but Lovina didn't want to see the man. So she stayed in bed contemplating her life. Food and homework left untouched but the tissues and rubbing alcohol certainly weren't. Soon the room reeked with the strong odor of rubbing alcohol, numbing her senses only enough to ignore the pain. Lovina was sure that falling off the the roof of the school would hurt less than this, but maybe she will never know.

Sometimes Feli would ask why she didn't come to dinner, sometimes even beg her to come. Other days, Feli was too happy with herself to ask, and completely forgot about her sister. Today was one of those days. Lovina wasn't even sure if she cared or not. Her whole body ached too much to think about such complicated feelings. With her stomach grumbling, and her arms and legs throbbing, she closed her eyes and tried to lull herself to sleep.

Lovina was sure that there was a time when none of this was a problem. No one hit her, no one brushed her aside. It was possible that at some point, someone loved her. But at the moment, Lovina could remember no such thing. The throbbing that pulsed through her body with every move she took kept her mind from such wonders.

Her life was indeed a roller coaster ride, she just didn't know when or where it would end…

* * *

-  
 **It was really hard to write this chapter, mostly because it's hard to believe that someone would purposely hurt a child for their own pleasure. No one should have to go through that! It really breaks my heart. Children should be allowed to have fun, laugh, make mistakes, smile. Unfortunately it does happen...**


	5. Chapter 5: Scheming & Befriending

Chapter 5: Scheming & Befriending

It was the early morning, a couple of maniacs were standing in front of a couple of lockers. Those maniacs happened to be the "BTT," who were standing in front of the Antonio's locker to be exact. Who knows what they are up to, rare for any of them to be on time. Must be an emergency meeting.

"So let me get this straight, you want me to help you get the girl that _mein bruder_ is crushing on?"

"Sí, pretty much." Antonio didn't really see a problem with it, but then again Antonio rarely ever thought carefully about anything.

"Okay I'm in …." without much hesitation, Gilbert agreed. Francis simply looked shocked, Gilbert was usually very loyal to his brother and would never do anything to hurt him. Gilbert noticed this and found the need to defend himself.

"Don't gimme' that look Francy-pants, she came over yesterday and I could tell she totally has it for our little Lutz," smiling triumphantly, feeling proud of his brother. "Well of course she does, she's dating the guy who shares the same awesome genes as me. Of course mein are superior but, Lutz is a close second. So I don't think she'll fall for Tonio, kesesese…"

"Aw….. _no digas eso Gil_ , after all _soy muy guapo_ , I'm very handsome, no?" Looks like Gilbert's arrogant demeanor has spread.

"Yeah, but I dunno feels like Feli and Lutz have some sort of connection…"

"Oh, so her name is Feli?"

Francis and Gilbert couldn't but look at Antonio with disbelieving eyes. They knew Antonio could be a bit….. well…. stupid, to put in simpler terms, but sometimes they really wondered whether Anyone was seriously stupid or if he was just bluffing to mess with them. Gilbert wasn't the brightest crayon in the bunch either but he had _some_ common sense. "Have you even talked to her Antoine?"

"No, why?"

Facepalm…. they really hope Antonio was faking his stupidity, unfortunately for them… he wasn't.

"How were you planning on courting her if you don't even know her name? Honestly Antoine you don't know anything about _l'amour_?"

"I was just gonna walk up to her and ask her on a date."

"Non, non, non, you can't can't do zhat, ow' will she ever understand the feelings you 'ave and linger for her every time you see her. Ow' your eart' beats every time you see her. The pain, the agony, you feel when you're not with her. O'w you long to hold her, kiss her, and share every moment with her…." Gasping, Francis leaned backwards, overwhelmed with the thoughts of love, so excited, he let a French accent come through. Neither Gilbert nor Antonio really getting what he meant, as Antonio had never even spoken to her.

"Yeah….. anyways….. since Toni here needs to actually talk to the girl, we should make a plan to get them to meet. But she's always with Lutz or that other girl, so we need to be clever. I got the perfect plan, but first we'll need water balloons, a clown, a ladder, a rope, a couple of ducks, of course Gilbird will disguise himself as a duck, red paint, maybe a few llamas, and to make it romantic, a rose." Smiling maniacally, he twiddled his thumbs, with nothing but evil in mind, "it will be perfect…"

"Non, non, non…. you guys don't know anything! Here's what we'll do!" And with that They huddled together in front of Antonio's locker, a menacing aura surrounding them. Everyone passed by the scene, and feared for what was in store. As they finished the bell rang, signaling the start of the school day. This plan would need to be executed during lunch to be successful.  
-

And so they waited and waited, looking up at the clock in every single one of their classes. Then lunch came! Instead of going to the cafeteria to get a bite to eat, they went with a plan in hand. A plan which was set in action the minute they stepped in the cafeteria. They all set into position. Then Feli, Ludwig, and their Japanese friend, Sakura, entered the lunch room, each with their homemade lunch in hand. Feli, however, looked rather flustered, with Sakura and Ludwig trying to soothe her.

Gilbert wanted to say something about he and his brother being a chick magnet, but he kept quiet to complete his mission. With a serious face, he ran to his brother: "Ludwig! Ludwig…..Ludwig!"

The latter was obvious surprised to see his brother's eccentric behavior, dulled with concern.

"Gilbert? Vhat's wrong?" For some reason, Ludwig had a thicker accent, probably because of all the time he spent at home.

"I dunno I just got called to the school office, and the office ladies said that our mutti called saying she was coming over, and to come and get you."

"Vhat? why?"

"I dunno' but come on let's go!" Dragging his brother to the other side of the school, where hte office had supposedly called them, leaving only Sakura with the flustered Feliciana. Both then walked to their usual seats. they weren't allowed a moment of rest as Francis soon came to fulfill his role.

"Sakura! Cher! I'm glad I found you! I have the greatest news for you! Guess who wants to meet you right now?"

The girls just looked at him with confusion.

"Who are you exactry?"

"I'm Francis, but that doesn't matter because I'm here to tell you that a certain Heracles wants to meet you right now! Sounded important!" He smiled brightly making sure she would be convince.

The girl whose expressions were usually hard to read, immediately hid her face behind her hands with embarrassment. Now of course Francis wasn't going to be cruel with fools in love. There was indeed a certain Heracles that was waiting for Sakura.

"What do you say? How about you go meet him now? He told me to tell you to meet him in the auditorium.

"Eh? _Demo_ , Feli…."

Feliciana looked to her friend, and without hesitation: "Go Sakura! I know you like him, this is your chance to tell him how you feel." She smiled at Sakura, trying to convince her she was fine. When Sakura still didn't budge, Feli pushed her away, finally sending her off.

"Well my work here is done~!"

But Feli still looked flustered, looking all around the cafeteria.

That's when Antonio steps in. He didn't really know what he was doing, but he would try his best.

"Hi~! My name's Antonio!"

"Ve- I'm Feliciana..." Never stopping her whimpering.

Antonio didn't like it when people were sad or troubled. In his dreams he would see a world in which no one died for petty reasons, in which no one died because they couldn't afford to eat, a world in which everyone would see that we are all human beings, and that our race or sex or sexual orientation wouldn't change that. All human beings feel pain and we all, he assumes, want to be happy. Of course such a utopia could only exist in his dreams, but that didn't stop Antonio from trying to put a smile on a person's face. So he turned on his charm, and his emerald eyes flashed with a gleam of hope.

"Well Feliciana, it's nice to meet you, but you seem troubled, _¿Qué pasa_ _?_ What's wrong?"

Feliciana had just met this guy, she didn't know if she should be telling him all her problems. But she really was troubled and wanted some comfort. This guy, she concluded, was a kind man. Yup, this is what Lovina meant she said Feli could be a bit clueless sometimes. She was just lucky that Antonio didn't have any bad intentions. Other that swaying her friends away from her when she needed them.

"Ve- it's just that I'm worried!"

"Worried? Why?"

Feliciana contemplated: "Ve- is it really alright for me to tell you this?"

"Of course! I just want to help in whatever way I can. A pretty girl like you should never be frowning, a smile suits you more!"

Feli, oblivious to his attempts to flirt with her, began telling him her worries.

"Ve- Well yesterday I went to a friend's house, you know to have fun and stuff. But I left my _sorella_ home alone, I try not to cuz' sorella always looks so lonely, and I try to be with her as much as I can but things come up. I'm worried about my sorella because I don't think she ate dinner yesterday and in the morning I didn't see her cuz' she left very early, and I don't think she ate breakfast so she must be very hungry. She doesn't eat much and she's very thin. What if she has an eating disorder? Those are hard to get out of . Oh it's all my fault! I forgot to ask her to eat dinner with me yesterday, I was so excited! I didn't even see her yesterday after school! I'm a terrible little sister..." She finished her rambling with uncontrollable sobbing, which caught people's attention. People the cafeteria gave Antonio accusing looks.

Antonio, for once aware of all the dirty looks he was getting, tried to reason with her.

"Shhh, calm down. It's not your fault! I can tell you're a great sister!" His voice was sweet and gentle. The sweet sound could tame even the wildest of lions.

When she didn't look convinced, he continued.

"Sí! You worry and look after your sister, no?" She nodded

"You make sure she eats and try your best to be there for her! Only a sister who truly cares would do that willingly! This was just a little slip. And if you are really worried about her we can take her something to eat right now! Do you know where she is ? "

Her eyes immediately brightened up, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Ve~~~ I think I do, she's supposed to have tutoring in the library right now! And I have some pasta left, come on let's go! You're the best Toni!"

And she dashed off, dragging Antonio along.

-~-Moving on and Hanging on-~-

The library was eerily quiet today, too quiet if you asked Madeline. She sighed, another day in the library, without any real purpose she might add. Normally on days like these Madeline would simply go down to lunch with her boyfriend but today her idiot boyfriend and his friends had some sort of plan to get Antonio a date. Gilbert had asked her if she wanted to join. On any other circumstances, Madeline would have loved to help, or rather if the masterminds of the plan were different types of people. Unfortunately, after hearing about the Halloween of 2010, Maddie refused to help them in any of their schemes, no matter how sane it sounded. The date itself had become a taboo among the group!

She heard the library doors open, but Maddie paid no attention to the sound. That is until she saw the person act suspiciously. Maddie hid her face behind her book as she tried to see who it was. The person just kept walking from bookshelf to bookshelf without any real direction. Sometimes the person would take a peek at Maddie's direction. Madeline thought it to be creepy, that is until she recognized the person.

"Lovina?" She called out, so softly that an ordinary human being would've missed it. Lucky for Madeline, Lovina wasn't ordinary. Lovina flinched and quickly his behind the shelves. After a few seconds she answered: "y-yes?"

"Is something wrong ?" Nothing but kindness in Madeline's voice. "Do you need help with homework? Or...?"

"Not really..."

Madeline didn't really know how to continue. It was so awkward, yet she couldn't leave the girl who seemed to want her company...and Madeline wouldn't mind some company in this quiet library.

"Would you like to sit with me?" Patting the seat next to her.

Lovina, nodded and went to sit with her. Madeline wondered why Lovina was walking so slow, but brushed it off as maybe it just being her usual pace.

A perfect word to describe the mood at their table would be awkward. When will these two learn to converse.

Maddie noticed Lovina eyeing the books she had next to her and decided to be the brave person to break the silence.

"Would you like to read one?" Pointing to the books next to her.

Lovina chose to stay silent but nodded.

Madeline handed her one she had personally enjoyed, _A Separate Peace_ , by John Knowles and hoped for the best.

As both girls got into their reading, they soon found themselves relaxed and the awkwardness extinguished.

Once again Madeline stopped her reading to look at the girl next to her. Lovina had been very invested in the novel she was reading but had suddenly set her eyes on Maddie's sandwich, sitting attractively between both girls. Madeline had forgotten about the sandwich, her book had been too interesting. Lovina obviously didn't feel the same.

"Are you hungry?"

Lovina's face turned red. It reminded Maddie of a fruit or perhaps a vegetable. At the moment, she couldn't really remember.

"N-no" but her stomach deceived her as it grumbled. Maddie didn't think it could happen, but the other girl's blush actually darkened.

"Here, eat it! It sounds like you're hungry,"

Lovina reluctantly took the sandwich. "Fine! But I'm not hungry! I'm only taking it to be polite!"

Just as Lovina was about to feed the beast called hunger, Madeline's own beast growled.

Turns out that red highly contrasts white, as Maddie blushed with embarrassment. Yet the girls couldn't help but throw themselves into a fit of laughter.

"Just what are we doing?!" Lovina laughed out.

After calming down a bit, Lovina split the sandwich and the girls took a break.

"You know this sandwich is really good. What's in it?"

"Nothing special really, just Canadian bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, American cheese. The usual, no mayo though, I hate mayo."

"I don't really like it either. But...Canadian bacon? Isn't that just ham?"

"Ugh, you're just like my boyfriend and my sister, no one understands !"

"Yeah yeah! But tomatoes are the best! Of course this will never beat Italian subs anyway..."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, I'll make you one someday... But don't worry, I'm enjoying this HAM sandwich" earning an eye roll from Madeline.

While enjoying their short lunch, the girls found themselves more and more comfortable with each other.

"You know that book you lent me is really good. I thought it would be boring because you looked like the type to read boring books, but it isn't, it's pretty fucking interesting!"

Ignoring the unintentional insult, Maddie replied: "Really? Because I really enjoyed reading it! I don't know, it's just the feeling I got when I read it"

Lovina simply nodded, as Maddie's words trailed away, understanding her, as she felt the same feeling while she read the book. Both understood Gene, the character from the book, yet neither would ever admit to it. Neither would admit to having such a _horrid_ feeling. Instead, they kept as a hidden demon that haunted their everyday lives. As Lovina shifted uncomfortably in her chair, she was reminded of her other demon that refused to leave, as pain shot through her legs and arms. Deciding she wanted to embrace the warmth she felt when she first started this conversation, she hid from the monsters that made her fear for her life, she asked:

"Do you have any more recommendations?"

Madeline looked like she was about to cry tears of joy. Finally someone who she related to. Gilbert was great, but sometimes even he didn't understand her. So they spent the rest of their time writing down recommendations and looking around the library.

"Hey, it's almost the end of the period, but we haven't gotten to know each other at all!"

Lovina agreed. Both wanted to know more about each other.

"... Do you want to ...come over to my place and just chat?" Madeline had never had a friend over but she sure wanted to know what it felt like.

Before Lovina could reply, someone tackled her in her seat.

"Sorella! I found you! Are you hungry? I bet you're hungry! Here have some pasta!" It was None other than Feliciana.

"Get off of me!" trying to push her off.

"Ve~ here, pasta!"

Lovina was about to tell her off, when she noticed someone behind her sister.

"Oh, it's the tomato bastard, are you interested in getting into my _sorellina's_ pants too?"

"You know Toni?"

"Not really..."

Antonio, who had taken too long to process the information, finally gasped, realizing he knew this person.

"Oh it's you! From the park!"

"Yeah! And what of it?!"

He kept silent, not knowing what to say.

"Anyways, here I brought you some pasta, I know you must be hungry because you didn't eat anything last night and I'm sure you barely ate anything this morning!"

The pasta was cold by now, and there wasn't much left, but she knew her sister felt sorry. Sorry for what? She didn't know, but she didn't want her sister to feel guilty. Or in Lovina's words, "Fine dammit' but only so you won't go crying to the potato bastard!"

Lovina offered some to Maddie, but Maddie refused knowing Lovina must be starving.

"Yay~! We did it Toni!"

Before Antonio could speak, Gilbert's voice intruded.

"Phew, Toni, did Lutz get mad... You better have made it worth it. Oh it's birdie!" He ran to her and hugged her, but Maddie looked at him, surprised. "What on Earth happened to you?"

Gilbert had waltzed in with a bruise on the cheek, hair more disheveled than usual, sleeve missing from his red sweater, one shoe, ripped jeans and a scraped knee.

"This is what happens when you anger Ludwig!"

"Beilschmidt is your boyfriend? Potato numero dos? Why Maddie? You could do so much better! Is he holding you hostage?!"

Maddie was about to reply, but Gilbert interrupted.

"And just who are you?"

"I'm your girlfriend's friend!"

"Aw... Really birdie? You could do so much better! Is she holding you hostage?"

The battle between feisty vs. awesome was about to begin, or it would've it Francis hadn't barged in saying: "Ah~~~ l'amour..." Probably referring to Heracles and Sakura.

"Well me and Maddie spend more time together! So Blegh!" Sticking out his tongue childishly. " In fact, I'm taking her to a homemade water park after school!" Madeline's eyes widened at the word, _homemade_ , oh dear what had Gilbert done?

"It's fucking 65 degrees outside, summer's over idiota!" She proceeded to tug at Maddie's arm, "Besides, I'M going to her house after school!"

"Vhat!?" ←-Oh there was his German accent.

"Ve~ Sorella has a friend?"

"L'amour _est beau_!"

"Uh… Feli? I have something to ask you, sí?"

"How could you Birdie?! Trade me for this _thing_!"

"GILBERT!"

"You better shut the fuck up potato number two!"

"Ve~ Sorella you never tell me anything!"

And among all the chaos, the bell rang. Everyone dispersed before anything could get crazier. Maddie and Lovina, traded numbers and set up a place to meet after school. Antonio was not happy though. The plan had failed. True he had gotten to speak to Feliciana, but still didn't have a date. Or so it seemed until Feli pulled on Antonio's sleeve.

"Ve~~~ Wait Toni! I wanted to thank you for helping me today and I was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner?"

" _Sí! Claro que sí!_ Of course!" answering excitedly.

"Great! Me and Ludwig will meet you outside the main entrance after school!" And she left, waving goodbye.

Antonio sighed with frustration. Yup, things don't always go as plan.

-  
 **Poor Antonio... it's okay it will all work out in the end... maybe... Well this was probably the sanest plans the BTT has made, of course I will work on that ψ`ー** **´)ﾉ** **ρ(￣ﾍ￣ ﾒ** **)**  
 **Of course nothing will be crazier than the Halloween of 2010...**

 **Don't worry my intention is to make Antonio a little less naive by the end of the story :3**


	6. A Family Dinner & A Family Disaster

Chapter 6: A Family Dinner & A Family Disaster

Lovina didn't really know what to expect when she reached Madeline's home. The walk to her house had be uneventful and quiet, but neither minded. They both preferred quiet walks. Maddie lived in an a house eight blocks from school, and ten blocks from Lovina's "home" so it was a decent walk from school

When she entered the house, she was greeted with a smile form Madeline's mother and handshakes. She didn't really know what to say, she wasn't used to physical contact and didn't know how to talk to adults, or anyone really. Adults tended to make her most uncomfortable though. She feared they would lie to her and then go behind her back to insult her. It was something she was very careful of. The contact reminded Lovina to keep her sweater on, and be wary of revealing any bruises, but tried to avoid limping as much as possible.

"So…..what's your name sweetheart?" Maddie's mom asked. The woman was obviously aged, but still lived with vigor. She looked a bit like Madeline. Same amethyst eyes, creamy colored skin. Same tall stature. Only difference would be her brown hair.

"L-Lovina, Lovina Vargas…."

"Well Lovina make yourself at home, Madeline has never brought anyone over! I was worried she was a loner at school. I was surprised when she told me she got a boyfriend, she's never even mentioned a friend!" The mom sputtered out excitedly. Though excited, the mother was still bitter on the whole boyfriend situation. Her baby girl was dating a boy known for his trouble making and failing grades. How had her sweet Madeline gotten along with someone like him.

"MOM!"

"Oh honey, I'm just telling her the truth…" she said as she rubbed her daughter's arm, standing in beside her.

Lovina immediately decided that she liked this woman. Even though the woman was teasing her daughter, Lovina could tell that Maddie's mom really loved her and was thrilled that Maddie had found a friend…..It was odd, Lovina had never seen it happen, someone teasing someone else out of love. She thought any type of teasing was meant to be demeaning. Something about Mrs. Jones-Williams, soothed Lovina and helped her build faith in herself, kinda' like the way Madeline did.

It was a surprise to see Lovina put her arm around Madeline, as she said, "Don't worry Mrs. Jones-Williams, it's my job to keep Maddie from becoming a Loner. Isn't that right Maddie? And about her boyfriend, I'll keep an eye on him. His brother also has an eye out for my little sister!" she hissed.

Maddie's mom was obviously pleased, as she giggled and smiled brightly at Lovina's direction. Her daughter had met a friend….. a seemingly nice one at that!

"I like her Maddie! She's a keeper!"

"Yeah… yeah…. well I better go to my room before you say anything else…"

"Too late~! Hey Lovina, did you know that when Maddie was little she used to dance and sing in a…"

"NO! NO! NO! NO!" Maddie yelled as loudly as she could to block her mother's words, as she dragged Lovina up the stair to her room.

Finally reaching her room, Madeline closed the doors, taking in a deep breath.

"Sorry about that, my mom can be a bit…... embarrassing…"

"What?! I like her! Besides I wanted to hear what you did as a kid…" smirking at Maddie's direction. Madeline replied with a scowl, simply stating, "No you don't"

"I'll find out one way or another!"

"No you won't, not if I can help it!"

"Mark my words Madeline….. my detective skills cannot be beaten!"

Maddie was about argue but her sister came barging in through the door, frantically: "Maddie, Maddie! Have you seen the baseball bat I had yesterday, you know the wooden one that was kind old, and had that "Hot Babe" sticker?"

"No….. and I don't know what you're talking about….."

"Man you are no help at … hey who's this?" temporarily distracted from her predicament, she pointed to Lovina, who did not like the sudden attention.

"This is Lovina, my friend"

"I didn't know you had a friend!"

"AMELIA! Weren't you looking for something?"

"Oh yeah! The Bat! Man…. Mathias is going to kill me if I lose it! I can't let that happen! The hero can't die!"

"Did you leave it at Arthur's yesterday?"

"Shit….. maybe you're right! Damn it! Tell mom I will probably be late to dinner! PEACE!" And she took off running like a wildebeest.

"So I take it that was your twin sister, yes?" Lovina questioned.

"...Yes…. but sometimes i wonder if I was traded with her real twin sister, and I just happen to look like her…."

"I can tell you two are nothing alike!"

"You have no idea! It's annoying because people tend to be surprised that I am her twin. Sometimes they confuse me with her. It's annoying!"

Then Madeline started mimicking all the remarks she's gotten from the past:

"Why aren't you good at sports like your sister?"  
"Why aren't you more outgoing like your sister?"  
"Hey you look familiar, are you Em's sister?"  
"Your sister is really hot can you introduce me to her?"  
"Hey Amelia! Oh.. oops I thought you were Amelia. Who are you again?"

"Who are you?" That was probably the worst one…. it's one thing to compare someone to someone else, it's another this to completely forget or ignore the existence of a human being. But it was a pain that Lovina could understand, after all, she herself had a perfect sister.

"That must suck, but I know what you mean! My sister is the definition of perfect!"

Then _Lovina_ started with her own list in a mocking tone:

"Why can't you be more like your sister?"  
"Are you sure you two are related?"  
"Learn from your sister!"  
"Your sister is so talented and smart, why aren't you?"  
"It's okay Feliciana is just naturally talented, you on the other hand need to work hard, so why don't you?"

There's nothing better than another person who understands your pain. Both girls knew this, as they felt lighter, dwelling on their complaints of an unfair youth. Perhaps this friendship was meant to be….. This thought ran through their minds, but any hypothesis is meant to be tested.

"You know, your sister kinda reminds me of my little sister," and Lovina proceeded in imitating Feliciana's high pitched voice: "Ve~ Sorella has a friend?"

"So that was your little sister! You're both freshman right? Are you twins too...or..?"

"Twins?" Lovina almost burst out in bitter laughter. How could _she_ , Lovina Vargas, even remotely be like her sister. Lovina wasn't even sure if they shared the same genes. "No, I failed second grade, don't know how, but I did. I'm just stupid…. I'm barely passing now. Hell! She might even graduate before me by the looks of it!"

Maddie felt a little guilty for opening up a topic that was obviously very sensitive, so she tried to close the can of worms that she had ripped open.

"I'm sure you're not stupid Lovina…. you just have trouble with school that's all…"

Lovina wished she could believe Madeline's words. Trouble…. trouble at school, trouble at home, trouble with people, trouble with herself; that's all Lovina has known, trouble. In her mind there was only one reason why she has so much trouble with life. She has come to the conclusion that all her troubles are caused by her. _Why me?_ is a question formulates in her mind, daily, and daily she has searched for an answer to the wretched question. Without an answer, she realizes that she brings this onto herself. _I'm a stupid idiota! Of course I'll be failing_ ; _I'm short-tempered and always cuss! That's why no one likes me! There's nothing really special about me! Why would anyone care or even notice me? I am weak and a coward who fears everything! Why would anyone like me? How can I make someone happy, when I'm not even happy? How can I be happy? I'm not Feliciana, why would anyone like me? Why would nonno…_ She stopped her train of thought there, knowing if she went further, she would most likely cry. Crying will only further expose her "cowardice" behavior. Yet the girl who was tortured by her thoughts never thought to blame someone else, or even try to find an accomplice to the cause of her troubles. In her mind, it was all her fault. And always will be. Nothing will ever change for her because she was Lovina Vargas.

After much thinking, Lovina could only say, "Yeah…. sure…"

Realizing she wasn't helping much, Maddie sighed and tried to reason with the tortured girl, "Lovi…." but didn't even get the chance to start because her mom's voice interrupted. "Girls! Time for dinner!"

Both girls walked awkwardly to the kitchen table. _Will this friendship really work?_ is probably what both girls were thinking.

They sat across from each other, not looking at each other's face. Mrs. Jones-Williams sensed the tension and tried to lighten up the mood by offering mash potatoes to the girls. Both girls simultaneously refused, "No thank you", causing both to say : "Jinx," only for both faces to redden, and look down immediately. Mama Jones-Williams, taking this as a sign that things would be alright between them, left the table to prepare her missing daughter's plate.

"Where's Amelia?"

"She went to Arthur's to look for something! She said she would be late for dinner!"

"Looking for something eh?" The mother suspiciously questioned, still getting used to the fact that both her daughters had boyfriends. Though the other obviously favored one over the other. That person, to narrow it down, did not have "red" eyes.

Both girls, were admittedly nervous. How could they not when death lingered over their wobbling friendship, like the immense grey rain clouds that wove over the dark sky and hanged over the unsuspecting, poor souls, that were unlucky enough to get caught in the rain? One word, like one rain drop, could end all warmth and sunshine that seemed to emulate their companionship. Who would speak up under such circumstances?

Both, hanged on, but were obviously curious of what the other thought about the situation:

"Did I do something wrong?"  
"Great you messed up again!"  
"Will it end here?"  
"As usual…. things never work out!"

Who said what doesn't matter, as they spoke in their minds like their thoughts were connected.

Without having much to say, Madeline and Lovina both reached over to serve themselves some salad, only to realize that their hands were about to make contact, that they reached over to the dish next to the salad, the mashed potatoes, only for their hands to again, make contact. Maddie who was quick, swiftly moved her hand back to the salad, leaving Lovina with the potatoes.

Lovina despised the mere thought of potatoes, but to save herself from embarrassment, she ladled a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto her plate, distastefully.

Maddie liked mashed potatoes, but wasn't in the mood for any at the hilarity, she watched as Lovina scooped a bit of mashed potatoes with her spoon, looking terrified and furious all at once. Mrs. Jones-Williams soon walked in and stared at the scene before her with much confusion.

"I thought you didn't want any?"

"I….um.. changed my mind…." Lovina proceeded to shove the spoon with potatoes in her mouth, tightly closing her eyes in disgust, at the taste of the detested vegetable in her mouth. After swallowing, she quickly grabbed her cup with water, and gulped it down, nearly finishing it. The mother looked at the spectacle before her. "Lovina dear you really don't need to eat them if you want…."

"No it's… okay….." Lovina defended. This caused Maddie to sigh in defeat. Maddie grabbed Lovina's plate and swooped the mashed potatoes from Lovina's plate onto her own. "Geez Lovina you're so stubborn" Maddie smiled, letting her know it was okay.  
Lovina scowled and answered, "Well I'm not gonna let you eat all of it on your own," taking half the portion she originally scooped. Both girls looked at each other and offered a smirk,then laughed at their ridiculousness. Maddie laughed at the familiarity of the scene.

The mother looked concerned, "Are they that bad?"

Lovina did not want to displease the woman she had just met, especially when she didn't mean to: "No! I just really hate potatoes!"

The mother was interested, "Oh?"

"Yeah, they remind me of the potato bas…." She would have finished if Madeline hadn't kicked her under the table. The kick along with the look she was getting from Madeline, lead to the conclusion that cursing in front of Mrs. Jones-Williams was a no- no. _Dammit'!_

"The potato bas...bas…..ting tournament back in Sicily!" She quickly finished, not remembering where she even learned the word 'basting.' "Yeah…. it was horrible, the way they….. beat the potatoes… such…..such waste….."

Maddie literally face palmed….. _Potato basting tournament? Really?_

Maddie's mom obviously didn't buy it but did not push further.

"Potatoes actually kinda' remind me of Maddie's boyfriend…. he ate six whole baked potatoes when he came over!"

With widened eyes: "Really?! Me too! That's why I call him Potato b…...Potato….. Potato numero dos! Really gives me reason to dislike potatoes!"

Surprisingly, Mrs. Jones-Williams ran over to Lovina, offering her palm, straight in front of her face. Lovina, not sure what to expect, flinched at the sudden movement. Until she realized that the mother was asking for high-five, so she softly complied.

Maddie on other side of the table, couldn't believe what was happening, her mother and her friend would probably form a tag team and bad mouth her boyfriend. _Great!_ Still, it was nice to see her mom and her new friend get along, she couldn't help but crack a smile.

The swinging of the front door interrupted the mystical moment, as soft, wet steps, squeaked on the wooden floors. "Guess what I found it?! Hahahaha! Of course the hero would find it!" In walked the drenched Amelia, holding the infamous old wooden baseball bat with the 'Hot Babe" sticker.

"Don't walk into the dining room with wet clothes! Go change!" The mother scolded.  
"Aw~ Mom! I'm hungry, and my room is too far away~ Let me off the hook this just once! A hero needs to eat…."

The mother did not want to argue so she permitted it on the condition that Amelia clean the wet mess she made and didn't complain if she caught a cold. Amelia, in her current state, wholeheartedly agreed. Now the family was ready to start a proper family dinner, with the absence of only the father who was doing a night shift at his job.

With all the potatoes and laughter, Lovina had forgotten that she was currently having a family dinner…..with a family that wasn't her own. Yet she hadn't felt as accepted and comfortable at a dinner table as she did now. _This is what a true family dinner is like_ , she supposed…. Rather than longing for her every day life to be like this, Lovina simply relished in the moment, fully knowing it was only for today…..

-~-Moving On & Hanging On-~-

While Lovina was gulping down potatoes, there sat a "Potato Bastard" and a "Tomato Bastard" in the living room of her "home." Nonno was home, but since Ludwig had visited the home before, Nonno focused on the Antonio, who seemed to be getting some sort of orientation. Feliciana and Ludwig were also in the living room but were mostly secluded in their own little world, and only entered the conversation once in a while. Once again, _things don't always go as planned_ , is what the saddened Spaniard thought.

Antonio was actually very surprised when he first stepped in front of the house… or mansion. The design wasn't really special, and the only way that Antonio could describe it, was that it looked like a normal house, you know, typical family house, only larger. Antonio could only assume that the family was wealthy. The mansion, however, paled in comparison to Francis's mansion, which sported white, marble pillars at the front door, giant, heavy, old wooden doors, and large windows. Still, this mansion was absolutely bigger that the small apartment Antonio lived in. The living room he was currently sitting in was large, and dim. With much space, a Flat screen, smart TV large enough to look like a theater screen, sat in front of the brown leather couch and the the brown, wooden coffee table. Two additional couches faced each wall , forming a U shape. All around the living room, there was artwork. The floors creaky and wooden, underneath the U, was a large white rug. The walls increased the dimness of the room, as they were painted a dark maroon. despite the darkness of the living room, Antonio couldn't help but feel comfortable. It had a "homely" feel to it.

Nonno, or Grandpa Roma as he instructed Antonio to call him, had busied himself with showing Antonio all of Feli's many awards and works of art that she had earned since she was six. Feli was indeed a prodigy. She even earned her own money with her work. Antonio is as excitable as puppy, so of course he was greatly impressed by all the awards and painting that were brought forward, but by the 25th award, Antonio was already greatly bored! It was while looking for a painting, Nonno found a long lost photo album. It was a little old, seeing as it had been lost for a while. Nonno was excited to see what was in it, and Antonio was excited to see something new.

The album was mostly filled with pictures of Feli in her childhood, and the occasional picture if the mysterious sister, usually together with Feliciana. Antonio found it weird that there weren't many pictures of Feliciana's sister, but he brushed it aside.

"Oh look! Here's a picture of Feli singing in her princess costume! She's so cute~"

Nonno flipped through the photo album, and Antonio got increasingly bored, that is until he spotted a picture of Feli's sister….. in a ballet costume. But Nonno didn't comment on the picture and quickly flipped to the next page. Antonio, however, was too curious, and tired of talking of his supposed crush, and asked: "Hey, wait! Was that Feli's sister? Can I see?"

Nonno stopped for minute, but eventually reluctantly turned to the only individual picture of Feli's _sorella_.

"Yeah…. it is…." after brief silence, Nonno, said, "Well I better check on dinner….."

 _Well that was strange, Que raro!_

Feliciana then proceeded to sit next to Antonio, face filled with amazement.

"Ve! I can't believe this one isn't destroyed!"

"Destroyed?"

"Si! Destroyed! You see Lovina, my _sorella_ , use to do ballet! We used to live here, and our neighbor was a ballet teacher and she taught us ballet."

Antonio nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"Ve~ She was really good! REALLY good! I did ballet too, but no one in our class could match up to Lovina. Our ballet teacher said that she was a prodigy! Lovi really liked ballet~"

"Does she still do ballet?"

Feli's face of amazement, soon disappeared, masked with sadness: "Ve….. When she was twelve, a teacher from the American Ballet School happened to see her performance as young Clara in the Nutcracker and was very impressed! He wanted her to do a special audition for him. The school is in New York, and though both Nonno and I were going to miss her, we prayed she would get in. But four weeks before the audition, ve…. she fell down the stairs and sprained her ankle. Her ankle got better but not it was not ready for the audition, but went ahead with the audition anyway. During the audition, Lovi fell while on pointe, and broke her ankle. We took her to the hospital and the doctor told us that she would never be able to dance again. That broke Lovi's heart. She doesn't like to remember her time as a ballerina, so she burned most of her awards and pictures. Nonno gets really, really sad too, so he doesn't like to talk about it."

"Oh…." was all Antonio could say as he felt guilty, feeling he had hit a delicate topic. Despite this, Feliciana continued.

"Ve….. I remember Lovi was devastated. Lovi has always been very pessimistic, and well….. sad, but ballet seemed to make her happy." Tears started to form in Feliciana's eyes, and Ludwig, as terrible as he was at dealing with tears, came to sit next to Feliciana. "Since then, I don't think sorella has smiled much….. I wish I could do something. If sorella were to just be happy and smile a bit more, I would be happier….."

Grandpa Roma, called from the kitchen, "Pasta Is ready guys! Don't worry Ludwig, the potatoes are too…."

So instead of remembering the past which could not be changed, or returned, the teens sat at the extravagant dinner table, with food distracting them from the ghosts of the past. Or at least most of the teens did. Antonio was the exception. Just who was this "Lovi?" Why was she so sad? What happened on that day they met, just a month away from the school year? Why was she laying on a park bench so early in the morning?

Antonio's questions were interrupted by Feliciana's giggling, laughing at Ludwig's pasta stained face, at the other end of the table. Though Antonio could be down right stupid sometimes, he knew that this wasn't how things were supposed to work out. He narrowed his eyes a bit. He needed a new plan to woo Feli. Francis's plan hadn't work, and plan made by Gilbert would likely include another clown, and Antonio didn't like clowns. _Tengo que hacerlo yo solo…..el plan ser_ _á_ _mi propio plan_ ….. _I need to do it myself, it shall be my own plan_.

That's when it hit him, Feli had said she would be happier if her sorella was happy. _Claro! Of course! If I make this Lovina happy, I'd make Feli happy, and girls like guys that make them happy, s_ _í?_

Anyone, or at least anyone with more sense than Antonio, could see that the plan was ridiculous. Not only did it have a flawed logic about what kind of happiness brought on emotions of love, but also went against its own logic. If Feli were to like Antonio, because he made her happy, wouldn't Lovina also end up liking Antonio? Of course Antonio failed to see any problems with his scheme, so his brain just kept turning the gears as he planned out every step.

 _Looks like I just need to make Lovina happy….._

As Lovina smiled at another family dinner, ten blocks away, she remained unaware of possible danger, or at the very least annoyance she will have to face from here on.

Antonio, in turn, had yet to realize how difficult his plan would be to accomplish….. at the moment, he didn't really care… Grandpa Roma's pasta was delicious…..

 **-** **Well that chapter sucked :P Oh well xD I'll try my best! School is starting soon ;-; I don't if I'll be able to update :/ I think this story will be put on a definite hiatus, but I will be back. I can't leave it like this, I haven't even gotten to introduce Amelia properly, or Liz.

By the way: Basting-v- beat (someone) soundly; thrash

**

 **A Potato is a person too Okay?! Treat them kindly! Though I'm sure Lovi won't mind a contest involving the beat down of potatoes xD**


End file.
